Stake



July 22, 1969 J, BORCHARDT STAKE Filed Nov. 27, 1967 INVENTOR. BORCHARDT JUNE E.

ATTORNEY United States Patent O F 3,456,660 STAKE June E. Borchardt, 1312 Ogantz Road, Toledo, Ohio 43614 Filed Nov. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 685,854 Int. Cl. A45f 1/16 US. Cl. 135-15 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tent type stake having a right angle channel body member, the edges of which converge toward a chamfered end, and a circular dished head member having a flat portion larger in size than that end of the body member to which it is welded. The dished head member has a downwardly depending diverging peripheral flange portion adjacent the peripheral edge of a fiat portion to form a smooth, round, and slightly domed top for receiving driving blows or pressure. This head member may also have a hole therein for attaching a hook.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, tent stakes have been made of substantially heavy sheet metal bent into approximately right angle tapering body members. These stakes are generally notched near their upper end, or the upper end is provided with a non-symmetrical hook and/ or head welded to that end. If the stake is notched, it weakens the stake, and when such stake is pounded into hard ground the stake collapses. On the other hand, if the body is provided with a projecting non-symmetrical type of hook and/or head, such is hazardous to the feet and ankles of persons walking over or near the stakes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, this invention embodies a novel structure for anchoring coverings or the like to the ground. Such an anchoring structure generally comprises a mushroom shaped stake having a body member adapted to be pushed or pounded into the ground and a smooth, rounded head. This body member may be formed from a piece of flat elongated sheet stock of suitable gauge in a generally triangular shape. This flat stock may be bent along its longitudinal center line to form two tapered sides or webs angularly disposed relative to each other. The head may be stamped out of a piece of fiat sheet stock into a circular dish or bowl shaped member, preferably including a centrally disposed circular flat portion, to the inside of which the wider end of the angle channelled body member is integrally and axially attached, such as by welding. This head also may have a hole through its flat portion for attachment of a hook.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a smooth, safe, effective, and etficient tent type stake that is rugged in construction, simple and pleasing in design, and has a round top or head which has no dangerous projections, is free from books, and is substantially flush with the ground when in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above mentioned and other features, objects and advantages and a manner of attaining them are described more specifically below by reference to embodiments of this invention shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a tent stake in use according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the tent stake shown in FIG. 1;

Patented July 22, 1969 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a body member 10 may be stamped from a piece of flat sheet stock of suitable gauge in a generally triangular configuration. As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the stem, shank, or body member 10 may be bent along its longitudinal center line 11 so that this member forms a substantially right-angled L- shaped cross-sectional channel section, whose two substantially equal angularly disposed web portions 12 and 14 have tapering edges 16 and 18, respectively. Thus, the depth of the webs at one end of the body member is about twice the depth at the other end. The narrowest portion of this tapered body member at one end also may be chamfered such as at about 45 to the spine or center line 11, or pointed, as shown at 20, so that the stake may easily be forced into the ground. The widest portion of this tapered body section is at the other end 21 which is perpendicular to the center line 11.

The head member 22 may be stamped from a piece of flat sheet stock, and it may include a flat circular center portion 24 adapted to overlie and cover the upper end and largest portion of the body member 10. This head member 22 may have a rounded reinforcing flange or rim 26 depending at about a 45 angle from the periphery of the flat circular portion 24, to form a smooth dish or dome, which dish is about twice the diameter of the largest dimension of the upper end of the body member. This head member 22 may also have an aperture or hole 25 in its flat portion 24 such as between the webs 12 and 14 as shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 3 and 4, which hole may be used for inserting a hook, such as a spring hook used for trailer canopies.

The length of the body 10 relative to the diameter of the head 22 is at least 4 times said diameter; however, it may be greater.

The head 22 at the upper end of the body 10 may be formed integrally therewith or it may be welded (as at 28), brazed, or the like, to the inside of the dish portion, so that the flange 26 depends toward the pointed or chamfered end 20 of the body 10, and the center line 11 of the body portion is parallel to the central axis of the circular head and perpendicular to the flat circular center portion of the head. Because the body portion 10 is L- shaped at its upper end, in order to fasten this end as symmetrically as possible to the head, the center line 11 is offset from the central axis of the head.

In use, as shown in FIG. 1, the assembled stake 10' is pushed into the ground so that the head is substantially flush with the ground after the tie rope 30 from a tent or covering 35 is looped or tied around the upper portion of the stake beneath or adjacent the head 22, or in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, a hook has been placed in the hole 25. Thus, when a person walks over the stake, he will not trip and be harmed by the stake itself.

While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific structure, it is to be understood that these descriptions are made by way of examples, and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A tent type stake comprising:

(a) a shank having a channel of L-shaped cross sec- 3 4 tions, the edges of whose equal sides taper from one 2. A tent type stake according to claim 1 wherein said end to about half their width at the other end, at which dish-shaped head contains an aperture.

other end the side edges converge at about a 45 angle toward each other to form a point, and (b) a smooth circular dish-shaped head about twice References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS the diameter of the width of the sides of said channel 1,395,960 11/1921 Hill g5 2 at said one end, into the inside of which dish-shaped 1 7 523 10 1931 Tweden 35 23 XR head said one end of said shank is integrally attached, 3,241,202, 3/1966 K ft 13 5 1 5 XR and the side edges of which dish-shaped head are 3,280,829 10/1966 Glendenning et a]. 135-l5 flanged at about a 45 angle toward said shank to 10 form a truncated c ne KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner 

